Mood Indigo (2014) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

A pianocktail is a whimsical invention that combines a piano with a cocktail mixer. When Colin plays the piano, it automatically mixes drinks. The word is a portmanteau created by Boris Vian, the French writer whose circle inspired the film's characters.

Foreshadowing: The pianocktail represents Colin's carefree life and later becomes a symbol of what he sacrifices to try to save Chloe.

• pianocktail
• boris vian
• cocktail piano
• invention

Chloe develops a mysterious illness during her honeymoon that gradually worsens. The disease is never explicitly named but causes her health to decline steadily, eventually leading to her death. Colin desperately spends his fortune trying to find a cure.

Foreshadowing: The first signs of trouble appear during the honeymoon, where Chloe's fatigue and declining health begin casting a shadow over their happiness.

• chloe illness
• chloe dies
• honeymoon illness

Colin spends his entire fortune trying to cure Chloe's mysterious illness because he cannot accept losing her. He fires his cook Nicolas, sells his beloved pianocktail, and exhausts all resources in a desperate attempt to find a treatment, ultimately driving himself into poverty.

Foreshadowing: This financial sacrifice mirrors the earlier theme of wealth being meaningless against the forces of death and decay.

• colin poverty
• selling pianocktail
• money spent

Chick becomes obsessed with the writer Jean-Sol Partre, spending all his money on Partre-related collectibles and ventures. He loses his job after a Partre-related scandal, and when confronted by law enforcement, he resists and is killed.

Foreshadowing: Chick's obsession with Partre was established early in the film during lunch conversations, showing how his passion would consume him.

• chick death
• partre obsession
• chick killed

Alise becomes obsessed with Partre, similar to Chick. She tracks him down and kills him, likely believing this act would somehow validate her obsession or gain her something from the writer she reveres. Her act removes the figure who has been a destructive influence on both couples.

Foreshadowing: Alise's obsession with Partre was introduced early through her relationship with Chick, showing her willingness to pursue extreme lengths for her passion.

• alise kills partre
• jean-sol partre
• assassination

After Chloe dies and his world collapses into grief and poverty, Colin cannot bear the weight of his loss. He walks to a river and jumps in, disappearing into the dark water. The film ends ambiguously, it's unclear if he drowns or simply submerges into the depths of his despair.

Foreshadowing: The monochrome decay and the mouse abandoning Colin foreshadowed his complete emotional collapse.

• colin death
• river suicide
• film ending

Colin and Alise begin an affair seeking solace during a period when both their relationships are struggling, Chloe is dying and Chick is consumed by his Partre obsession. They immediately regret the betrayal, and the liaison adds another layer of destruction to both couples.

Foreshadowing: The emotional strain of watching their partners deteriorate created vulnerability that led to their moment of weakness.

• affair
• colin alise
• betrayal

The film transforms from bright, whimsical colors to stark monochrome as Colin and Chloe's happiness decays. This visual shift symbolizes the death of joy, hope, and life itself, mirroring the emotional collapse happening within the characters and their home.

Foreshadowing: The monochrome overtakes the home right as Chloe's health deteriorates, making the visual decay a physical manifestation of their tragedy.

• color change
• monochrome
• visual symbolism
• decay

Isis is Colin's new fiancée who appears at Chloe's funeral alongside Colin and Nicolas. This reveals that Colin eventually moved on and found love again after Chloe's death, though the grief from losing Chloe still haunts him enough to drive his ultimate act of despair.

Foreshadowing: The brief mention of Isis suggests Colin attempted to rebuild his life, but his past trauma proved inescapable.

• isis
• colin new love
• funeral

Jean-Sol Partre is a fictional writer created as a cheeky spoonerism of Jean-Paul Sartre, paying homage to Boris Vian's literary circle. Both Chick and Alise become dangerously obsessed with his works, leading them to spend fortunes and ultimately causing their downfalls.

Foreshadowing: The lunch scene where Chick first mentions Alise's obsession with Partre hints at the destructive role this fictional author would play.

• jean-sol partre
• jean-paul sartre
• boris vian
• fictional writer